Since its inception in 2008, the Indian Premier League (IPL) has entertained fans with breathtaking performances. Many of those came from the hands of the batters, who have been the force behind the league’s popularity.
The IPL has seen a plethora of batters dazzle the field with their batting mastery. However, a few stand apart with their grit and consistency in putting on a show with the bat, placing them among the best.
This article will take you through the 5 greatest IPL batsmen of all time.
5. Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma has been the face of the Mumbai Indians, leading them to 5 IPL titles. That makes him one of the most successful captains in the IPL.
Apart from his astute leadership, Rohit also displayed his batting skills to be among the top 5 run scorers in the league. The right-hand batter started his IPL journey with the Deccan Chargers in 2008 before becoming an integral part of the MI bandwagon in 2011.
He accumulated 1170 runs for the Chargers, winning the Emerging Player of the Year Award in 2009. As Rohit joined MI, he worked on his power-hitting skills, earning the tag of ‘Hitman’.
Over the years, he has provided several fiery starts to MI, garnering over 5000 runs for the team.
4. AB de Villiers
Arguably one of the most destructive batters in the IPL, AB de Villiers, lit up the stage with his unique batting style. The South African batter redefined the art of batting in the T20 format.
De Villiers didn’t spare the best of the best bowlers, smashing them across the park at his will. Not only that, he rescued his team from grave situations many times with his sensational knocks.
ABD had a plethora of shots in his armoury to tackle the bowlers, scoring runs in an unimaginable way. He accumulated 5162 IPL runs, representing the Delhi Daredevils and Royal Challengers Bangalore.
His stint at RCB was more remarkable, with many impactful knocks coming for the team between 2011 and 2021. And no wonder, the RCB honoured de Villiers by inducting him into their hall of fame.
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3. David Warner
David Warner is one of the prominent overseas players who have left their mark in the IPL. The southpaw batter made the opening slot his own with explosive starts.
The Australian began his IPL career with the Delhi Daredevils and showed his flair with the bat. But it was at Sunrisers Hyderabad he unleashed his ultimate batting prowess, performing with utmost consistency.
Warner was the mainstay of the SRH batting lineup, garnering 4014 runs for them. His batting also complimented his leadership skills, taking SRH to their maiden IPL title in 2016.
Warner’s batting mastery can be gauged from the fact that he has claimed the Orange Cap three times. That is enough to make him one of the greatest IPL batsmen.
2. Suresh Raina
Suresh Raina never looked out of form throughout his IPL career, rightfully earning the ‘Mr. IPL’ tag. He was the most bankable player in the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) squad.
If the team was in trouble, Raina would throw his hand up and easily embrace any responsibility. And he could perform valiantly under pressure that set him apart from other batters.
Chinna Thala, fondly called by CSK fans, won many games for his team with his fiery knocks. The left-hander’s consistency with the bat kept him among the runs, garnering 5528 runs in 205 matches.
What’s amazing about his run tally is he scored 300+ runs in each of his seasons between 2008 and 2019. And a few batters have been as persistent as him.
1. Virat Kohli
A young prodigy stepped into the IPL in 2008 donning the red jersey and never looked back. Since then, the poster boy of Indian cricket has never shied away from displaying his craft, amassing truckloads of runs.
When Virat Kohli comes to the crease, he makes batting look easy with his flawless strokeplay. Be it batting first or chasing targets, Kohli has mastered everything, scoring 7500+ runs in the IPL.
His batting mastery was on another level in the 2016 season, when the right-hander slammed a record 973 runs in 16 matches, taking his side into the season finale.
Throughout his IPL career, Kohli has been an essential cog of RCB’s batting, carrying the team to many glorious moments single-handedly.
